


A Proposal

by joyfulsongbird



Category: Hadestown - Mitchell
Genre: F/M, it can never be too much, just kidding, they love each other too much
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-08
Updated: 2019-11-08
Packaged: 2021-01-25 14:50:40
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,972
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21358021
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joyfulsongbird/pseuds/joyfulsongbird
Summary: Orpheus saves up for weeks, months even, to get a simple ring for the woman that he loves. After Hadestown, they need the little moments of security and comfort where they have each other and each other alone.
Relationships: Eurydice/Orpheus (Hadestown)
Kudos: 42





	A Proposal

Orpheus woke early that morning, early enough that the sun wasn’t all the way in the sky, just a small mound on the horizon. He reached a hand out, feeling for the warm body beside his. And to his relief, felt soft hair under his fingers and the soft skin of her cheek. He found himself instinctually doing this every morning until it became a conscious habit. He didn’t mind and neither did she. Rolling onto his side, he watched her breathe for awhile. Her eyes closed, he let his soft touch glide over the bridge of her nose, over her eyelashes, across her lips until her eyes fluttered open. She registered him first, smiling at the sight of him next to her.

“It’s so early.” she murmured, closing her eyes again and burrowing her face into his shoulder. “Go back to sleep.”

He hummed out a single note, letting the vibration fill up his bones and flow to hers. She hummed it back, messily, the vibrato flying all over the place. Finally, after a few minutes of silence, Eurydice sat up on her elbow.

“How long until you leave for work?”

He glanced at the clock on the wall, he could just barely make out the numbers. “An hour.”

She mumbled out her disapproval at him leaving for work so early, but despite herself, her fingers danced up his bare chest. Leaning in for a kiss, a kiss that lingered and grew and kept them in bed for awhile.

***

He dressed for work quickly, leaving Eurydice wrapped in the sheets, and half asleep again. The woman was anything but a morning person, and it always made him laugh. To watch her nose wrinkle in disgust at the early hours Orpheus found himself waking at and accidentally waking her when he got out of bed. She was quite perceptive of those things for someone who hated early hours, she could sense the slightest change in the temperature of their mattress. The weight of him standing up could wake her in mere seconds.

“G'morning, mister Hermes.” Orpheus greeted him at the doorway of the bar.

“Another early shift?” Hermes raised an eyebrow at the sheepish boy as he unlocked the doors. “You and that girl of yours having money problems again? Cause you know me and Persephone are always here to help out, son.”

He waved a hand. “No, no, just…” he ran a hand through his hair as they stepped inside the building and looked about like he was afraid someone was listening.

Hermes narrowed his eyes at the boy he’d known since he was a baby, the kid couldn’t tell a lie if his life depended on it. “What’re you hiding?”

“I’m savin’ up for a ring.” Orpheus explained quickly. “Two rings actually. Wedding bands. From that antique shop down the block.”

Hermes let out a booming laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. “Well, that sure explains quite a lot. Only that girl of yours could drive you to work so hard. And for a trinket.”

“It’s not just a trinket.” Orpheus said, reaching up to the cabinets and taking glasses out. “I feel as if… it might… I just want her to know that she’s, y'know, loved. And everyone else to know it too. It means a lot to the both of us.”

“You two talked about it yet?” Hermes asked, dragging chairs across the floor to the tables on the floor.

“Marriage, yes. The rings, no.” Orpheus said. “I wouldn’t buy two rings if I didn’t think she’s up for the idea. I’ve heard her call me her husband dozens of times. I’ve called her my wife before. Half the town thinks we got married in secret. But she doesn’t know that’s the reason I’ve been taking early and late shifts even though we’re already set for winter.”

Hermes leaned against the counter, watching the boy, so in love, so nervous yet confident at the same time. “How long until you’ve got enough for them?

”‘Bout a week.“ Orpheus shrugged. "They aren’t fancy but I wanted to give her something. Something she’s never had before. Neither of us got nice things when we were kids, or now, and I just want her to have all good things. I want to give her everything. But I can’t. So I’m working really hard to get her this one thing right now.”

“You’re a good kid.” Hermes said, reaching to take Orpheus by the shoulders, holding him at arms length. “I’ve always known you were a good kid but you turned out so great.”

Orpheus blushed. “Thank you, mister Hermes.”

Hermes grinned. “Now,” he said sharply. “Help me get those bottles from the cellar.”

** A WEEK LATER **

“Thank you.” Orpheus says to the cashier at the antique shop, he pockets the rings, planning to give them to her as soon as he gets home. He’s not supposed to be home for another few hours, but he got off his shift early since Hermes knew exactly what he was planning that day. Gave him his paycheck and sent him on his merry way.

There’s a nervous flutter in his stomach, a feeling he’s familiar with, the same feeling he has when he sees Eurydice dancing. The same feeling he had when he first saw her.

“Orpheus!” He turns away from their house towards the garden and sees her giving him a wave.

He clambers over the fence.

“Be careful,” she warns, walking between the neat rows of plants she’s worked so hard on. “Don’t want you ruining my hard labor.”

She reaches him, pressing a kiss to his lips, lingering for a moment, before pulling back.

“You’re home early.” She says accusingly. Stepping back, he can’t help it admire her. In her jeans and an old t-shirt- probably one of his- both stained with dirt, she’s so beautiful. With dirt smeared on her face and forehead, especially right on her nose. He feels the urge to wipe it away and kiss the same spot.

“Hermes let me off early.”

“Hm.” She, obviously, doesn’t believe his weak excuse and walks back to where she had been. “I was just finishing up anyways. Let me grab my basket and get cleaned up, then you get to hear about my awful day.”

He laughs following her out of the garden, she’s already beginning on her tangent.

“Do you know how many women reside in the dark corners of the trading post? You would not believe. It’s like they stand there and wait for specifically me to walk through the doors in order for them to critique and criticize me. I’m pretty sure this whole damn town has a problem with young people getting married because if you’d heard the things they were saying… ugh! You are lucky I did not get in a fistfight today, Orpheus.”

She’s already in the door, and placing her basket of vegetables on the table. He closes the door behind him, eyes following her and as she paces, placing things back in cabinets as she continues on one of her patented rants.

“One of them literally said I should still be in school. Really. I know I look fifteen but that doesn’t mean they have to point-”

His hands reach for her unconsciously, pulling her flat against him. His mouth hovers inches from hers.

“You do not want to kiss me right now,” she warns. “I’m hot, I’m bothered, and I smell like a sewage pipe.”

“Nah,” he says. “I really, really do. I haven’t seen you all day.”

“Yeah,” she agrees, fingers grabbing his belt loops and tugging him closer. “That’s your own fault. Leaving so early this morning, barely even kissed me goodbye.”

“Don’t worry, I’m done with early shifts.” He says, though only he knows why. The rings in his shift pocket grow hotter against his chest.

“Good, then I actually get to see you through the hazy mist of the morning when I don’t know if I’m dreaming or not.”

“You dream about me?”

“Gods, all the time.” She laughs. “Except half the time I’m pretty sure it’s just you leaving in the mornings but it usually consists of something like this.”

Leaning forward and pressing her lips to his, he doesn’t hesitate. He knows this route, knows this women. Pressing a kiss to her cheek, to her jaw, winding downwards to her shoulder barely covered by the drooping neckline of her oversized shirt.

If he doesn’t do it now, he never will. Pulling back, leaving her slightly annoyed by the sudden stop but without saying anything about it.

“What?” She asks, tugging at the curl by his ear. “Is something wrong? You won’t meet my eye.”

“I have something for you. Well, for both of us.” He takes her hand in his, uncurling her fingers until it’s a flat surface and pressing it to his shirt pocket. Her breath catches audibly when she feels the circular feel of the trinkets under the fabric of his shirt.

“Orpheus-”

“Take them out. Come on.” He prompts gently. Her fingers tremble as she reaches into his pocket where he usually keeps a few mints. Or a red carnation. She pulls out two rings, made of copper wire wound together into rings.

“I was thinking we could make it official,” he says quietly when she doesn’t respond, just stares at the rings she holds. “Since everyone already thinks we are married. And not only that, there’s also the fact that I really love you and-”

She cuts him off with a kiss. A long, hurried one where neither of them want to pull away. One where both of them forget to breath.

“Gods, what do I even say?” She whispers into his mouth. “Yes? I love you?”

He laughs. “Either of those would suffice.”

Their foreheads lean together, they stay silent for a few moments. “We’ll have to get the paperwork done before we are officially wed.”

“Who’ll be our witness?” Eurydice asks, combing her hand through his hair.

“Hermes, perhaps? Or Persephone?” Orpheus suggests.

“I’m sure the other would offended if we asked one.”

“So, both then.” He says. She laughs wetly, leaning her face against his shoulder.

“I love you.”

“I know,” he replies promptly. “I love you too.”

He takes her hand, which still clutches the rings tightly in her fist, unfolding her fingers again and slipping the ring onto her left hand. She does the same to him. His eyes find her face, she stands there, looking beautiful and frightened and in awe. There is some sort of finality in the way she takes his ringed hand, as if they are having their on private ceremony in the quiet of their home. Without a word, he leans down, gently catching her lips with his own and loosely holds her there. For a long time, neither of them think of speak or think of complications or winter or tomorrow. They stay like this. Stay close, closer, close.

Orpheus only thinks of his wife.

Eurydice only thinks of her husband.

How can two people love each other this much?

The answer isn’t simple, but the lovers live in constant fear that their love will burn itself out like a candle with a wick on both ends. Burning maliciously. But what they don’t know as they kiss against their front door, is that this kind of rare love is one that dips up and down, yes, but never fades. Not even in death. Not even in mourning. Nor in the darkness or in fear or in resentment, love burns as long as they are just bright enough to make out the other figure in the dark. And even in the darkest night, they can still see just faintest outline of the other to use as a lifeline of hope.


End file.
